Risk, Challenge and Adventure in the Early Years : A Practical Guide to Exploring and Extending Learning Outdoors

What is the difference between ‘risk’ and ‘danger’? What can children learn from taking risks? How can you provide key experiences for children and ensure their safety outdoors?

Young children will naturally seek out challenges and take risks and this is crucial to their overall development. This book clearly explains why children should be given the freedom to take risks and provides practical guidance on how to offer stimulating and challenging outdoor experiences that will extend all areas of children’s learning.

Including examples of activities for all weather conditions across all areas of learning, the book covers:

• The pedagogical history of adventure, risk and challenge
• Health, wellbeing and keeping safe
• The adult role
• Risk assessment
• Supporting individual children with different needs
• Environments that enable challenging and adventurous play
• Working with parents and addressing concerns
• Observation, planning and assessment

This book is essential reading for practitioners and students that wish to provide rich experiences for children that will enable them to become confident and adventurous learners.

Kathryn Solly is the retired Headteacher of Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre. She is now a specialist Early Years consultant, trainer and author.